Healing disaffiliation-related trauma in United Methodist congregations
This is the focus for my Doctor of Ministry project.
I entered Candler School of Theology, a seminary affiliated with the United Methodist Church, in the fall of 1999. To that point I had always attended Southern Baptist churches, and since I was only beginning to understand the differences between flavors of Baptist, I wasn’t keen on furthering my oppression (which was how I saw it) through ministry training at a Baptist school.
Ironically, I came to learn and love what it actually means to be Baptist during my time at Candler. (Here’s a good, brief primer about Baptist distinctives if you’re curious.) I also developed a deep respect for United Methodism. I learned so much about it because it was the water I swam in. That knowledge and admiration have served me well, as I have been living the itinerant life ever since I married one of my seminary classmates, an elder in the UMC.
As I have seen up close, the past few years have been rough ones for many United Methodist clergy and congregations. In 2019 long-running arguments about human sexuality came to a head, and a procedure was put in place for dissenting churches to leave the denomination with their property. Congregational conversations and votes were complicated by the pandemic, which siphoned off much of pastors’ energy, weakened connections between church members, and caused some discussions to take place in less-than-ideal (e.g., virtual) forums. Five years after the establishment of the disaffiliation process, the UMC has officially split.
Some of the churches that remained in the UMC never took a vote on whether or not to leave. Many did, though, and even though the results affirmed these congregations’ United Methodist identity, the fallout was often traumatic. People didn’t always show up as their best selves in the decision-making process. Pastors took a lot of heat from all sides. Church members left in waves and took their time, talents, and treasures with them.
So while the question of denominational affiliation might be settled, much is still in flux for these congregations. That’s why for my Doctor of Ministry project - I’m in the final phase of the D.Min. program at Lexington Theological Seminary - I want to study how members of churches who stayed UMC experienced trauma through the process of disaffiliation conversations/votes and what healing is required as a result. Then I want to co-design a healing process with project participants that they can then utilize in their congregations.
This focus is not just academic to me. Through my work with churches, I hope to be a facilitator of soul repair for pastors and churches who are dealing with the spiritual, emotional, relational, and logistical effects of disaffiliation conversations. I also want to develop some best practices that can be used in other instances of congregational and denominational conflict, because splits are likely to keep occurring as the Church at large struggles with the tension between what it no longer has and what it can yet be.
If you are the pastor or a lay leader of a congregation in the southeastern United States that did or did not hold a disaffiliation vote but ultimately stayed UMC and lost at least 1/3 of the membership along the way, I would very much like to talk with you. I am looking to gather a cohort made up of representatives from 3-5 congregations who meet these parameters. We will talk about what the disaffiliation upheaval has meant for you and your church, and we will work together to meet the resulting needs for healing in your context. You can read more about what participation could look like here.
I welcome your inquiries if this opportunity sounds like a potential fit for your congregation or for churches with which you are familiar. You’re also welcome to share this link with others who might be interested. More information is available here: https://tinyurl.com/umcsoulrepair.